# [, a0 z( \6 o据未经证实的数据统计，中国天主教和基督教新教信徒加起来估计已超过1亿，而且这个数字仍在不断增长。但是，家庭教会成员的宗教信仰受到各种限制，被当局恐吓、骚扰和拘留的情况时有发生，特别是天主教徒持续受到要他们效忠官方天主教爱国会的压力。 5 D F- R$ C' r2 U7 E" \9 }3 U) E Z+ r8 Y8 m
中国和梵蒂冈在主教任命等问题上存在分歧，双方至今未建立外交关系。 . N/ [3 y: g6 t& u0 @. W. n1 a" n2 D # ]8 j% b9 ]: K/ u" V3 L, PChina detains three underground priests, group says ( s6 B$ u; b1 p! Z1 I0 DSun Jul 29, 2007 ! v& s( I/ d- I' Q' p1 z & h$ e- `- b3 `5 QBEIJING (Reuters) - China detained three "underground" Catholic priests unwilling to serve a state-controlled body, a U.S. group has reported, as Beijing and the Vatican press their claims on religious controls. d7 B1 ^1 s. m + n) T. d. w( Q. T6 ]" j' x. I; HThe three men were caught by police in north China's Inner Mongolia region, having fled there from neighboring Hebei province, the Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement emailed late on Saturday.9 o2 i& n8 e9 H: J [+ i
' x/ v# A/ F- S: l! O0 T8 FThe detentions came as the Vatican and Beijing test their boundaries of authority following a letter on China's Catholics from Pope Benedict. : ?% P+ A7 x: P3 R) J5 o$ _8 H# Y8 D( e0 v+ a
China's 12 million Catholics share the same basic religious beliefs but are politically divided between "above-ground" churches approved by the ruling Communist Party and "underground" churches that reject government ties. 7 p# a5 K& B' U9 v. ~ 2 V. S; \) G( l0 COn June 30, Pope Benedict issued a letter that urged reconciliation between the two sides. But he said the church must have the power to run its own affairs, including appointing bishops, possibly with government consultation.8 j) p+ b7 f V# N
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The Chinese government has often rejected such claims as interference in "domestic affairs" but has given no detailed public response to the letter. a+ ^ m* Q- r: l 6 X x8 o% B: D% ~0 T5 ~Parts of Hebei, the priests' home province, are a stronghold of "underground" churches.7 w/ ^& Z# L* W7 Z8 f+ L$ Q" s
* z1 l% G+ X! E. z/ J, _2 w" yThe Cardinal Kung Foundation said the three had refused to join the Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-controlled body that seeks to control church affairs.! X, B8 z% P4 Q7 F+ H4 U/ S/ z
; V; Z3 e# m6 q0 X yPlain clothes police detained the priests -- Liang Aijun, Wang Zhong and Gao Jinbao -- on July 24 and they have been transferred to an unknown location, the Foundation said. 6 m, e0 [1 u# s7 F' s- l; n2 r6 a ; Q. J4 p/ ^9 @# O) \"They'd been hiding for quite a while when they were hunted down," the head of the Foundation, Joseph Kung, told Reuters by phone. ' D% Y u* G5 R4 D- l u+ R* X$ B7 h6 J* |, Q: ^) o- s2 v; B+ t
Kung said he did not know if the men have been charged. Another underground priest, Cui Tai, had been detained in Hebei following a minor motorbike accident, he said. + U& k ?8 h4 n o9 }7 | 4 y8 Q# J+ w/ `Sometimes "underground" clergy are released after days or weeks; sometimes they are held for much longer. 1 }1 z# U4 y- w7 {& y& R & v7 x& ]) T9 q! J( `The Vatican is waiting to see how China handles the appointment of a new bishop for Beijing, the country's most prominent diocese.( r3 V2 q' u2 M/ V" y
* N: S: }+ u- q* h' t$ YRome has said a nominee proposed by the state-registered diocese, Father Li Shan, could be acceptable and has urged him to seek papal approval.2 W; E5 Q# g( L, N+ ^- K! c
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But an editorial in a Beijing newspaper on Friday said China rejects the Vatican's demand that it stop appointing bishops without papal approval.$ U& a1 _$ Z; r% N
% Z8 f' b6 y, L4 `3 P* kThese days, most state-approved bishops have also won Vatican blessing. The Vatican has not had diplomatic ties with Beijing since 1951 and instead recognizes Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China regards as an illegitimate breakaway.
